Scotland’s Constitutional Relations Secretary has called on the Speaker of the House to “stamp out” the heckling of Scottish MP at Westminster, branding the behaviour “a form of discrimination”.
Responding to a tweet from an SNP supporter, Michael Russell called on Lindsay Hoyle to tackle the “orchestrated” drowning out of Scotland’s representatives.
Ian Morrison had tweeted: “If an English person working in Scotland was jeered every time they spoke, would that not be harassment and possible regional racism?
"If so, why does Westminster get away with it every time SNP speak in Westminster?”
It is a good point. The orchestrated barracking and the deliberate attempt to drown out the elected representatives of Scotland in the House of Commons is a form of discrimination and should be called such. Surely the Speaker should stamp it out ? https://t.co/XeJL4Dq806
— Michael Russell (@Feorlean) January 22, 2020
Russell replied: “It is a good point. The orchestrated barracking and the deliberate attempt to drown out the elected representatives of Scotland in the House of Commons is a form of discrimination and should be called such.
"Surely the Speaker should stamp it out?“
The SNP’s MPs are regularly shouted down when they speak, with their leader at Westminster Ian Blackford regularly having to speak over a chorus of heckles.
Last year, Blackford was told to “go home” while scrutinising Theresa May’s Brexit deal. The year before that, the then Tory MP Nicholas Soames told Blackford to "go back to the Isle of Skye" as he rose to speak.
WATCH: Tory MPs shout at SNP to 'go home' to Scotland during Brexit debate
Also in 2018, another Tory MP – reported to be Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset – suggested “suicide” when Blackford asked what options were available to ensure the UK Government understood the concerns of the people of Scotland over the Brexit power grab on devolved powers.
WATCH: Tory MP in vile 'suicide' heckle towards SNP in Commons
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